Playoffs provide experience for D-backs' prospects

SAN FRANCISCO -- The three Minor League affiliates who reached postseason play for the Arizona Diamondbacks all advanced into their respective division series.

That can only be a good thing as the players move through the system. It's been particularly good for the Class A South Bend Silver Hawks and their group of recent Draft picks.

Braden Shipley, the D-backs' No. 1 Draft pick in June's First-Year Player Draft, has made made four starts for the Silver Hawks since joining the team from Class A Short-Season Hillsboro.

"For South Bend, that's a great first year to have as a pro," Gibson said. "There's more pressure and it becomes a do-or-die situation. You have to learn how to slow things down and trust what got you there."

Shipley is 0-1 with a 2.61 ERA with the Silver Hawks, who won their second-round series opener over Fort Wayne in the Midwest League playoffs Saturday.

First-year pros Aaron Blair, a Competitive Balance Round A pick, Daniel Gibson, a seventh-round pick, and Jimmie Sherfy, picked in the 10th round, are all pitching for the Silver Hawks.

The Mobile BayBears are one game away from competing for their third straight Southern League title. They lead their best-of-five series 2-1 over Mississippi and could clinch Sunday night.

The Double-A BayBears have a mix of players from Nick Evans, a fifth-round pick by the New York Mets in 2005, to 2011 Draft picks Archie Bradley, Andrew Chafin, Nick Ahmed (Braves), Ryan Court and Garrett Weber.

"You always hope to create a winning culture," Gibson said. "It is a credit to the Minor League staff, which has done a great job assigning players. We've created some continuity through the organization where guys are doing the same things from top to bottom."

The Visalia Rawhide won its second-round opener Saturday against the San Jose Giants.

Gibson tossed after reversed call at first

SAN FRANCISCO -- Arizona manager Kirk Gibson went 0-for-2 in his dealings with umpire Tom Hallion during the D-backs series with the San Francisco Giants.

Gibson was ejected from Sunday's 3-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants following the top of the 10th inning. It was his second ejection of the series, both by Hallion, fourth of the season and 13th of his career.

The D-backs had runners on first and second with two outs when Aaron Hill hit a grounder that first baseman Buster Posey bobbled, but he was able to recover and underhand the ball to pitcher George Kontos.

Hallion first called Hill safe but agreed to discuss the call with his crew and reversed it afterward.

Replays showed Kontos nicked the base, though he did need to make a second attempt at it as Hill was bearing down on him.

That brought out Gibson, who proceeded to talk himself into another ejection from Hallion, who threw him out of the game for arguing a call at home Thursday.

D-backs figuring out mix of shortstops

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Arizona Diamondbacks have a nice problem when it comes to shortstops. They are overloaded with them, from veterans Cliff Pennington and Willie Bloomquist to youngsters such as Didi Gregorius and Chris Owings.

Manager Kirk Gibson wants to use September as a way to filter the position.

"Everybody wants to play but not everybody can play," Gibson said Sunday. "We need to make decisions on who remains at that position in the future."

Bloomquist and Owings were in the starting lineup for the series finale against the San Francisco Giants. Bloomquist was in left field. Gibson was going to give Owings one day in the lineup this series, but has liked what he's seen from the rookie.

"I saw some good things from him," Gibson said. "I thought we needed to get him back in there."

As for Pennington and Gregorius?

"We know what Penny can do," Gibson said. "Didi played a lot early and is now trying to figure some things out. He's had a good stretch."

Pennington was scheduled to leave for Arizona after Sunday's game to be with his wife, who will undergo induced labor Monday.

Hit hard by flu, Prado remains out vs. Giants

SAN FRANCISCO -- Martin Prado was out of the D-backs' starting lineup for the second straight day Sunday because of flu-like symptoms.

The bug has been going around the team lately and seemed to hit Prado harder than most.

"He's getting better but he's still under the weather," manager Kirk Gibson said. "It just came on here and has affected people in different ways."

The National League Player of the Month for August went 1-for-8 in the first two games against the Giants. He has a career-best 73 RBIs.

Rick Eymer is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.